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Show " ' V ' THE BINGHAM NEWS - - f IMmrock Trail swift care that showed famffitrlty with their task, se placing them that they appeared as If a part of the wall Below them Molly saw the hidden park that lay so snugly back of the barrier walls. It was an Irregular oval that appeared to curve at the far end. The trail down was plainly marked. It forked after they reached the general level and the branch they took led Into a side gulch where a log cabin stood, smoke coming from Its chimney. Pllmsoll took the rein of Blaze again and they broke into a canter. At the cabin Pllmsoll took Molly from the saddle and carried her into the rude Interior. There he set her on a chair. Cookie was busy at a stove frying hara and eggs, with cof-fee simmering. "You'd better sit up and eat nicely, my dear," said Pllmsoll as he unbound By J. ALLAN DUNN 4ulkr tf"A Mdm it Hit Matt," He Ooayrlght, 1KJ, ky 1. Allan Puna dollars maybe more. She's got a quarter Interest and a little better In the Molly mine. The Three Star owns another quarter. How much will they give up to have her backT Bourke's her guardian, remember. I think the chap with her may be young Keith. We won't monkey with him. He'll do to tell what happened. But we'll take the girl along and we'll send back word of how much we want to let her go. After I'm through with her. She may not go back the same as she came, but they won't know that and they'll pay enough to set us up and to h 1 with the herd." "You'll have the whole county searching the range," objected Par-sons. "There's a lot know something about the Hideout and they'll use Wyatt to show 'em the way. Bourke'll guess where she Is." "Let him. Wyatt don't know about the caves, does he? We can take her some other place tomorrow. We won't say anything now to the kid about a ransom. We'll mall a letter after we fix details. But we'll take the girl Into the Hideout now. That tender-foot'- Il be lucky If he drifts back to the Three Star by nightfall afoot. We'll be out of the place long before . . j CHAPTER XIX Hideout. The row that had culminated at the Waterline ranch, ending In the trouble between Pllmsoll and Wyatt, had brewed steadily. There had col-lected, besides PUinsoU's riders, Butch Parsons, Hahn and others of Pllm-soil- 's following who had been forced from their livelihood as gamblers. They still hung together, waiting for Pllmsoll to make a clean-u- p of his horses and move to places where they were less discredited. Pllmsoll had lost caste as a leader. Ills moods were morose or bragging. His ascendancy was gone. The crowd clung to him like so many leeches, waiting for a spilt of the proceeds of the sale of horses that no one ap-peared eager to buy In quantity. Ready cash was short. There were frequent quarrels; through it all there worked the leaven of Wyatt's jeal-ousy, fermenting steadily. When the spilt came, after an all-nig-session with cards and liquor, following the refusal of a dealer to buy the herd, It was not merely a matter between Wyatt and Pllmsoll. Sides were taken and the weaker driven from the ranch. Preparations were made for departure. "It's a rotten mess," Butch Parsons told Pllmsoll. "Wyatt or one of the others'll tell all they know. We'll go S us. I'll wise Cookie up to what we are doing." It was more than doubtful whether the three ever Intended for a second to allow Cookie to share In the ran-som money, but Pllmsoll easily per-suaded him that he would be a part-ner, adding that It would be foolish to let all the riders Into the pot. "She's Molly Casey of the Casey mine," he told him. "Sandy Bourke's her guardian. We'll make him come through with twenty or thirty thou-sand, sabe? But there ain't enough to go all round and make a showing." Cookie was a willing rascal and a natural adept at the double-cros- He raised no objections and the trap was set and sprung. "Tou go ahead, Cookie, and open up the gate," said Pllmsoll. Hahn and Butch were speeding Donald Keith on his way with close-flun- g bul-lets. "I'm going to have a little pri-vate talk with this lady. Go to the cabin and get some grab ready. There's plenty there. Spread your-self. We'll be along In a little while. That was a nice Job of roping you did. I. won't forget It." "Alrus c'ud lass' fair to niiddlln'," grinned the man through yellow, stumpy teeth. "That's why I tote a rope. An' I sure had a purty target." Pllmsoll scowled at him and he rode off. Molly, the lariat twisted about her upper body from shoulders to waist, constricting her arms, fastened "No Sense In Being Stubborn." South. That's my plan. You can find a buyer In Tucson. Put the horses In the Hideout. There's grub there and a safe place to lay low If ar.ythlng goes wrong. They'll have a fine time proving up the horses are stolen. We've got to take a chance. There's a good chance of a sale In Tucson." Within an hour the herd, already ccrrnled for the chance of a quick sale, wns being driven to the glen known as the Hideout, a little moun-tain park with water and good feed where Pllmsoll placed the horses that his men drove off from far-awa- y ranches, or Pllmsoll bought from otii-e- r horse dealers of his own sort, keep-ing them there until their brands were doctored and possible pursuit died down. There were two entrances to the Hideout, one through anarrow gut almost blocked by a 'fallen that. And we'll put her where they can't find her till they come through. I'm running this." The cook had ridden on ahead. Now he was waiting for them, looking back. Parsons shrugged his shoulders. "How do we split?" asked Hahn. "Three ways," said Pllmsoll. "We'll take her to the cabin. The rest'll be at the other end. We'll keep Cookie with us for the present. No need for the boys to know about it. We can manage that all right. Three ways, and I handle the girl." Butch Parsons grinned at him. "I thought you'd lost all your nerve, Jim, hut I guess I was wrong. All right, It goes as It lays. Now, then, how'li we bring It off?" Pllmsoll talked glibly, convincingly. Hahn had some objections, but Pllm-soll overruled them tiliiusihlv enough. where she could not reach It, by a hitch, sat on Blaze, looking with steady contempt at Pllmsoll, who held her bridle rein. He regarded her with sleek complacency and then his eyes slowly traveled over her rounded fig-ure, accentuated by her riding tog-gery. "Grown to be quite a beauty, quite a woman, Molly, my dear," he said. "Never should have suspected you'd turn out such a wonder. Clothes make the woman, but it takes a prop-er figure to set them off. And you've got all of that." "What are you going to do with me?" she asked. "I'm not going to tell you yet. It depends upon circumstances, my dear. We'll all have a little chat after lunch. I'd take that rope off If I wasn't afraid I might lose you. You are quite precious." She looked through him as If ' he bad been a sheet of glass. From her first sight of him, back in childhood, she had known Instinctively the man was evil. But she was not afraid. The blood that ran In her veins was pure and bore In its crimson flood the sturdy heritage of pioneprs who had outfaced dangers of death and tor-ture. She was all Westerner. The blood was fighting blood. She felt it urged In her pulses while her brain bade her bide her time. Hage mount-ed as she faced the possible Issues of this capture, the flaunting dismissal of young Keith. She beard the laugh-ter that followed the rifle shots and surmised that they were having their idea of a Joke with the lad. If he got back then Sandy would come after her. She was very sure of Sandy and that he would find her. Until he did she must use her wits. And Grit, galhint Grit, wounded and lying In the chaparral! her. "You'll have to sooner or later, you know. No sense In baing stub-born." She said nothing but he saw a gleam In her eyes as she glanced to-ward the table where Hahn was set-ting out plates and cutlery. "You'll eut with a fork, Molly," said Pllmsoll. "Those steel knives are too handy for you. There's a nasty look In those blue eyes of yours that will have to be tamed have to be tamed," he repeated as he took a demijohn from a corner and poured out a liquor that sent the reek of its raw strength slckenlngly through the cabin. "Here's to your health, Molly Molly Mine!" The others laughed and drank their shnre before they ate the food that Cookie placed before them, talking louder, growing flushed with the crude whisky, while Molly snt facing the door, striving to catch something that might help, might give some clue. But the talk was all of the brawl at the Waterline with contemptuous mention of Wyatt and the rest. They seemed by common consent to ignore her once she had refused the food. This attitude weakened her resist-ance though she strove against It She had nerved herself to meet ac-tion. Now she seemed to count for little more than a bundle, of more or less value, that, having been secured, could wait Its time for utility. Yet, before she had telescoped her vision to extend through and bevond I'llm- - bowlder. with only a passage wide enough to let through horse ami rider single file, a way that could be easily barricaded or masked so that none would suspect nny opening In the cliff. The second led by a winding way through a desolate region, over rock that left no slgu anil wound by twists and turns that none but the Initiated could follow. The place, accidentally discovered, was perfect for Its pur-pose. There was feed enough for the entire herd for a month. There was a er.bln In a side gully of the park, near the blocked entrance, the whole place was honeycombed with caves, In the towering sldewalls end under-ground. Five of the nine left of the Water-lin- e outfit drove the herd. Hahn Mid Parsons could both ride, but they were not experts at handling horses. They chose to go with Pllmsoll and the outfit-cook- , while the rest took the long way round to the other way In. The four lingered to give the rest a start "I bate leaving the country without "I don't see tht sense of letting the kid go," questioned Hahn. "He's good for a big spilt as well as the girl." "You're a fool when It comes to looking abend, Hahn. You always were," answered Pllmsoll. "Keith the old man Is too big a fish to monkey with. Got too many pulls and connections. He'd have the whole country out and the trick played up big In every dinky newspaper. We've got one fish or will have no sense straining the net We don't want the kid. Let him string along back best way he can. We'll get all the start we need. What else would you do with him?" "Stow him away somewhere and send a tip where they can find him In a day or two." Pllmsoll shot a look of contempt at Hutch, making the proposal. "You and Hahn make a good team," ho said. "No. One's enough. Ho may get lost we'll take his horse and that won't be our fault. He may make Three Star late this nffe rnnnn I I wish I could be with him vvhen he tells what he knows. Time they lo-cate the Hideout, we ll be miles away through the south end and they'll evening up some way wttn me isourue outfit," said Pllmsoll. "D n hint and the rest of them, Ihey broke the luck for us. As for the girl, If . . .?" "Oh, quit throwing the bull con about that, Jim," said Parsons blunt-ly.. "Sandy Bourke's a d n good man for you to leave alone an' you know It. Tulk niu't goin' to hurt him." "I'm coming back some time," said Pllmsoll with a string of oaths. "Then you'll see something besides talk." Pursons Jeered at him. Pllmsoll whs no longer the leader and he knew It. But he hung on to the semblance of authority that an open quarrel with Butch might shatter. Hutch was a bully, but Pllmsoll respected his shooting. And Hahn sided with him. The cook did not count. Pllmsoll carried with him a fine pair of binoculars and. as they rode leis-urely on and reached a vantage point, he swept the tumbled horizon for signs of any strange riders. It was the caution of habit as much as ac- - tuiil fear of a ruid. At times Pllmsoll rode aside from the trail to a ridge crest for wider vlsbm. At last, coming up the pass of Willow creek, he sighted Molly and Donald with Grit trotting beside them. It was the dog that confirmed his first surmise. He bad heard that f- K'h,, .".' soil, she bad seen devils looking from his eyes, smug devils, but none the less menacing, risen from the man's own private hell pit. Pllmsoll looked at his watch. "The horses should be showing up pretty soon," he said and rose, a lit-tle unsteadily. The effects of the liquor were patent on all of them. "Butch, you and Hahn go down with Cookie and keep 'em down at the south end. Get 'em to turn the horses loose. And get them out of the as soon ns place you can after they've eaten. Better tuke what stuff you want Cookie. "Keep your eyes peeled on Cookie " Pllmsoll said m a lower voice as the ranch chef went out of the door with his arms piled with provisions. "He might take a notion to talk too much." "Where are you going to stow her?" asked Hahn. "Leave her here In Split Rock cave?" The callous reference to her as if she was something Inanimate chilled Molly if only she bd KUn , she bad laughed nt l)inil(rsj t(in(It,rf(),)t iHstcnce ,,,on carrying the one he brought West as a part of his outfit and bad never attempted to use 'I he cook's too well thrown rope would have probably thwarted ativ move of hers If she hd had a weapon, Her fingers crept up toward her ti'rnut touching slemler chain upon winch, ever since she had returned to the Three Star, luing a gold disk, the "in with which sdy h, g. the luck-piec- To Molly, even now' It was a talisman that held promise' If 'hey left her behind them, s(),e-- bow Sandy would unearth her. Jiut ' that hope died, "She'll stay in sight and touch" said Pllmsoll. "Then vvs'll know she's safe. We'll make VVIndv gubi, and stay there. fs ns K)Mj ft place as I know. (,. of ,,s ,. r(fl over the mountain to Redding and mall the letter." Butch nodded. 'Tome on, Ilnnn," he said. "Let's leave ni together" (TO F!K CONT1NVKD.) Though she still gazed through Pllmsoll rather than at him. the scorn showed In her eyes and bit through his assumption of ease as acid bites through skin, eating Its way on. He burned to wipe out his own trickeries, his cowardice, his fail-ures, to wreak a vile satisfaction on this girl who snt so disdainfully, with her chin lifted, her lips firm, oblivious of him. She baffled him. A mind like Pllmsoll's never Into the clarity of prevision to see the strength of char-acter that had been In the prospec-tor's child, even as he had never sus-pected her unfolding to beauty. It roused the vandal In him he longed to break her, mar her. The return of Butch and Hitbn brought him back to the fact ttmt he wns not playing this deal alone. While they might allow him some per-sonal license, to them the girl repre-sented so much money. He cut short Hutch's boast of the way they had scared young Keith. Both Hahn and Parsons felt a coil of embarrassment nt the silence, almost the serenity, of their captive. They had expected her to act far different-ly, to rage, threaten, cry out. She almost abashed them. ''See If you can round up thut d m dog, Butch," said Plimsoll. "I plugged him but we want to be sure be don't get away. He might help Keith's kid, for one thing. And he damped my arm." Parsons rode Into the chaparral un-til be was barred by Its thickness, trying to stir out the dog, without success, "Head, I reckon," he reported. "Crawled In somewimres. You hit, him hard. Mini, plenty blood on the leaves." Molly bit her lips and paled a lit-tle, but turned away her head so that they eon Id not see. She winked back the tears that came to her thought of Grit helpless, punting, bleeding. They rode on up (lie rocky ravine. Presently they turned a, id,. fr,n ,),,, stony trail. To one side appeared a narrow opening, unseen from below by the curve of the great rock, Just wide enough to admit horse and rider. A few feet in, they halted, and Pllm-soll turned In his saddle while the other three men dismounted and care-fully adjusted several rock fragments la the opeulne, piling them with a "Grown to Be Quit a Beauty, Quite a Woman, Molly, My Dear," He Said. Molly bad returned, but he had not dared a visit to the Three Star. Who the rbler wiO her wis he did not cure. That, it 0 a tenderfoot was plain by bis clothes and by his sent. As be adjusted the powet $hises lo a better focus lilmsoirs face twist-ed to :in ugly smile. "I'll show you If 1 do nolhlng but talk," be said to Hutch alter be told them of Ills dlscoiery. "Weil wait for them along the trail. Weil send the chap with h,.r back a font." "And vvhutil you do with her?" linked Hahn. "We've had enough of kklrts, liliiisoll. This is no time to be mixed up with them." "Isn't ItV" The drink bad given liliiisoll some of his old swagger, and the prospect of hatching the revenge "cr uhlch he had brooded so long took possession of him. "Then you're bigger fool than I thought you, Hahn. That particular skirt, aside from m pemonal Interest In ber, sbout a Quarter ef a million have one hl of a time trailing us over the rocks. The horses ran stay In the park. If we put this deal over right vve don't need to bother about """i- - trading. We can get clean out in (he country with a big stake, go down to South America and start up a place. There are live times and good plays down there, boys. All right, Cookie, we're coining. I'm go-ing lo take another look, Jt's ten to oin' they're making for Heaver Dam lake on a picnic." lie laughed and the two laughed with him ns he went, for his survey iind returned, announcing that the girl and her escort were entering the ravine at the other end, "They didn't recognize us," he said. "We'vt Br,t to take Cookie Into this. You and Butch ride on through the troia a ways, Hahn, till you get back of them. Then we'll get 'am batwtan St. Louis smoker moves into second place With 405 cans to his credit Mr. Thurston smokes his way towards the lead ' Mr. Byron Thurston of St. Louis Is more than qualified for membership la the Edgoworth Club. Bit his posi-tion in thetehampionship-smoke- r class Is not so well established. Mr. Thurs-ton's interesting letter follows: Hotel Garni, St. Loui, Mo. Lirui Brother Company, Itichmnnd, Va. Gentlemen: , I have often heard of great iraokeri of " one kind of tobacco, i I have amoked 406 cana of Eilgewortb Plug Slice 86c rule without changing. Now If you know of any better record I would be glad to hear from you. I amok one can of tobacco in two daya and enjoy very pipeful. Youra truly, (Signed) Byron Thurston. WOMEN FROM FORTY TO FIFTY Will Be Interested in Mn.Hooker'i I Recovery by Use of Lydia L Pink-ham- 's Vegetable Compound I StPauLMinn. "Iwasgofngthrongh the Change, of Life and suffered from a -- ' miimiMii run-dow- n condition 5 PUWIH and the troubles a j n",'';viJj woman has to go I , through at that time, ' ' I' hot flashes, nervous- - A'4j"C-- Va nesa and headaches. s, j 1 V S 3 At times I was not f I P ae to do my wrkf J hut since taking ,i i'TiS- ' Lydia E. Pinkham's j - ill Vegetable Com- - I pound I am gaining t' J every day and can do k JVm J my work with more ease than I have for five or six years. ! I owe it all to your great medicine."-- f Martha Hooker, 114 College Avenue, St Paul, Minn. ' When women who are between the I ages of forty-fiv- e and fifty-fiv- e are beset I with such annoying symptoms as ner- - . vousness, irritability, melancholia and heat flashes, which produce headaches, j , dizziness, or a sense of suffocation.they should take Lydia E. Pinkham's Vege-table Compound. It is especially adapted to help women through this crisis. It is prepared from roots and herbs and : i contains no harmful drugs or narcotics. Write to Lydia E. Pinkham Medicine Co., Lynn, Massachusetts, for a free ! 3 copy of Lydia E. Pinkham's Private 4 Text-Boo- k upon "Ailments Peculiar to 1 Women." Jw More than a year ago an Edgeworth smoker from Burlington, Vermont, Mr. II. P. Baldwin, wrote in suggest-ing that he had smoked more Edge-wor- th than any other living man. At that time he had smoked over 1000 cans of the same size purchased by Mr. Thurston, distributed over a pe- riod of nearly a score of years. So while it apppars today that Mr. Thurston is well behind the leader, if he continues smoking a can every two days, it may be only a matter of years before he will be well in advance of the entire field. btui, it is a big country and there are a lot of Edgeworth smokers. You can never tell when new record will e hung up to be he envy of all tK-- -o-mething about it hatholdssmokers. Not that every-one likes Edge-wort- h, but those who do generally re-main steadfast in their loyalty to the tobacco year after year. If you have never tried Edgeworth, Larus & Brother Company will be glad to send you free samples of both Edgeworth Plug Slice and Ready- - Rubbed. Then you can smoke a few pipefuls and Judge for yourself whether or not the tobacco is as good as a great many veteran pipe smokers claim it i3. Just drop a postcard to Larus & Brother Company, 74 South 21st Street, Richmond, Va., and the free samples will be forwarded to you promptly. If you will also include tho name and address of your regular tobacco dealer, your courtesy will bo appre-ciated. Edgeworth is sold in various sizes to suit the needs and means of all " purchasers. Both Edgeworth Plug Slice and Ready-Rubbe- d come in small, pocket-siz- e packages, in attrac-tive tin humidors and in handy sizes. 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